At the center of the enchanting rolling hills, lived a boy named Shepherd. His existence was pure, simple, and honest. His main role was essentially to look after his herd of rams.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the wind through the lone tree on the hilltop were his main associates. Day upon day, looking out for his charges inculcated in him a sense of tranquil contentment.
But, here there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would pine for fellowship. During one such occasion because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome plan.
Narratives of wolves hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One morning he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but saw no beast.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This prank laughed for a couple of more days. However, one day, a real wolf actually come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the results of dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as pertinent today as it was in the past.